Why being a NABS Ambassador is so important to me.

Work can take its toll, which is why being a NABS Ambassador is so important to me.

Andy Gill, Content Director at VCCP Kin, decided to become a NABS Ambassador after seeing colleagues and friends leave the industry.

We are working in a cut-throat industry. When creative ideas are shelved, pitches fail and pressure mounts, work can take its toll. That’s why being a NABS Ambassador is so important to me – supporting my colleagues when they struggle and finding solutions.

Since becoming a NABS Ambassador colleagues have confided in me about the things they are struggling with and I have been able to help them. I think it’s really important that they have somewhere else to go for advice rather than traditional routes like HR departments, where they perhaps don’t feel comfortable opening up.

I have seen quite a few colleagues and friends leave the industry due to the stress and pressures of our industry. Often the lines between work and home life are blurred; it’s not unusual to be expected to answer emails way into the night by clients. Once a colleague asked me if I would be picking up emails on my holiday, as if that was normal.

It’s a really exciting industry to work in but it’s a young industry. I think many people going into it don’t have the tools or support to cope. It can be tough if you’re constantly putting yourself out there and being knocked down and having your work judged.

I applied to be a NABS Ambassador after being introduced to them at my agency; I wanted to do something positive. It’s a good feeling to be able to help people and point them in the right direction. I am so thankful that NABS is there as a safety net when it all gets too much.

Find out more about the programme. Applications are currently closed in London but open for the rest of the UK. If you are based in London and would like to register your interest in becoming an Ambassador once applications reopen, please email [email protected]